The Shogun Six
by Warwolf
Summary: AU. Dusk Shine is the apprentice to the Shogun of Equestria. When an ancient evil threatens to return, Dusk must gather the only thing that can stop it. The Elements of Bushido. Join Dusk as he begins a journey that will carry six ponies into legend. R/R
1. Dusk Shine

_**The Shogun Six**_

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any characters belonging to Hasbro. All original characters mentioned here are my own creations. I do this solely for entertainment purposes and in no way make any profit from it.

_**Chapter One:**_

_**Dusk Shine**_

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><p><em>In the time of Solaris, there were precious few who could be called heroes.<em>  
><em>In the time of Lunaris...there were the Six.<em>

_-Blood Jade, Equestrian historian. Known to be descended of one of the Shogun Six._

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><p>The Shogun looked up at the night sky and sighed. It had been so long since his elder brother had been corrupted. His ambitions had nearly destroyed Equestria. And eventually he would be free. There could be no question of that. The question in the mind of the Shogun however, was what to <em>do<em> about it once it happened.

He paced his throne room. The guards gave their ruler a wary look. While he'd never given any untoward movement or word towards them in all their years serving him, they knew when he had taken to a bad mood and as such would be somewhat short tempered if provoked just so. Normally this wasn't an issue, but it appeared he was in a particularly sour state of mind at the moment, so they wisely continued to hold their silence.

_If only he had listened. If only I hadn't needed to banish him because of his insanity_... The Shogun thought to himself. Then shook his head. Such recriminations were foolish now and well beyond the point when he could feel any true right to them. He couldn't wallow in regrets. A clocked announced the hour and he looked up in surprise. _Midday already?_ He frowned. He'd dealt with the majority of morning court business far quicker than usual and actually had much of the the rest of the day to himself, a rare treat. Between his days at the court, his training, and time spent with his prized pupil, free time was a luxury he didn't often encounter. The Shogun smiled.

_I __**have**__ been promising Dusk I would take find extra time to help him with his studies... _ he thought to himself. Nodding to himself as a grin split his face at the thought of his star pupil, one of the few ponies who could legitimately brighten his mood with surprising ease. He was a joy to teach. One day, he would make a truly fine Samurai warrior.

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><p>Dusk Shine, a Unicorn pony with green eyes, a dark indigo coat and dark blue mane with a few streaks of bronze in it, was flipping through a few pages on the computer screen before him. He had been studying the evolutionary jump that had occurred several thousand years back that had allowed ponies to be able to switch at will between the standard pony form and an anthropomorphic form. He was fascinated by the magical physics behind such a change, and wondered how it was even possible to make such radical changes in physical form without ripping the pony in question apart. Spell creation was one thing. Everypony in Equestria had at least some magic to them. But this was something else altogether. It was an evolutionary change that seemed to take magic and actual biological construction and bind them together in ways he still couldn't wrap his head around. His Warrior Mark, a large silver star with golden points and five golden stars surrounding the larger one, indicated his special talent for magic in and of itself. But even he didn't quite understand this. He was a prodigy with the mystic arts. The Shogun himself had claimed he might be the most powerful pony of his generation and took him as his personal apprentice. He was a terror with Katanas. But this was so far outside his realm of knowledge that he felt like pounding his head into a wall as he kept trying and failing to come up with a working theory on how this was possible. He benefited from this ability as did every pony alive today. But he couldn't figure out how it <em>worked<em>. And it was driving the usually calm and composed scholar up the wall!

"Still on that issue, I see."

The young colt almost leapt right out of his fur as the Shogun had seemingly appeared from nowhere and was looking over his shoulder.

_Why is it he can always sneak up on me like that?_ the unicorn seethed internally. _I should be able to sense things like that by now. I can do it with the other teachers in the school and even my classmates!_ He knew it was hardly a fair comparison. They were normal, mortal ponies while the Shogun was...well, the _**Shogun**_. It would be like comparing rocks to water. True he was one of the more advanced students in both the mystic and martial arts, but he was nowhere near as skilled as the Shogun. He bowed once he'd gotten his breathing under control and slowed his heartbeat to something resembling a sane pace.

"Your Majesty." He said with a smile. "I didn't expect to see you for some time."

The Shogun chuckled.

"No, I imagine you didn't. Neither did I, in all fairness. However by happy coincidence, I was able to finish up all of the morning work early and as fate would have it, I had nothing on my schedule for the rest of the day. Since I have, in essence, the day off, perhaps you might like to spend some extra time with me and further your studies aside from the academic ones?"

Dusk's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.

"It would be my honor, Shogun!" he replied with a smile that threatened to shatter the muscles in his jaw. "What will we be studying today?"

The Shogun simply chuckled and waved a hoof airily.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that." He said with a cheeky grin. " Knowing you, I expect you'll have the hang of most of it by day's end. You've proven to be quite the sponge when it comes to knowledge, my student."

Dusk looked away shyly, rubbing his head at the praise.

"Well, I'm not really as much as all that. You just have so much interesting stuff to teach and I want to make sure I don't disappoint you by not getting it as fast as possible."

The Shogun smiled and put a hoof on the colt's shoulder as a father might do with a favored child.

"Understand me, my young apprentice. You have done me more honor just in being so enthusiastic for my teachings than I believe you'll ever understand. I don't expect you to learn everything immediately. I don't expect instant results. You are young and the only way you could disappoint me would be either by ceasing to care about improving yourself, or by working too hard to do so and injuring yourself in the process. I'd sooner see you have to take your time in learning than have it come to you being injured. I would never forgive myself if you came to harm from overexertion or overreaching in an attempt to do more than you are able." the seemingly ageless ruler of Equestria replied. "You have great potential, my student. To burn yourself out so young would be a waste of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Dusk answered, looking abashed but still eager to please. He tempered it, however. They often had some variation of this discussion seemingly once every few weeks. Sometimes every few days when the indigo coated Unicorn got too carried away and nearly hurt himself trying to get something perfected. Luckily, he'd been unhurt on any of those occasions aside from a brief case of exhaustion. After the third time, the Shogun had basically ordered him to practice his magic and fighting only twice a week and had posted guards around the colt twenty four/seven for almost two months to make sure the edict was obeyed. Dusk eventually returned to practicing on a more rigorous schedule, but had yet to truly overextend himself since he was sure the Shogun still had eyes and ears on him in case he went overboard again. "So...what will we be doing today?" he asked again, in a calmer, but no less curious, tone.

"Come with me, child. And find out."

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><p>Dusk returned to the room at the palace he lived in, and sank bonelessly into bed, pulling the blankets up magically and let out a tired but accomplished-feeling sigh. It had been a long day and they had continued well into the night after the Shogun had lowered the sun and raised the moon. He marveled at how the Shogun seemed so much more at home during the night. Granted, he <em><strong>was<strong>_ the prince of the night, and had always been. As he dozed off to sleep, he wondered who had trained the Shogun. He may have seemed ageless, but even he had to have been a colt once...

Right?

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><p>The Shogun stood as still as stone as he gazed up at the full moon and the brilliant night sky. He considered it one of his better works for the nocturnal canvas. Certainly he felt it was better than the days he supplied to his ponies. He knew they were good. And many ponies considered them beautiful. But they would never truly be a match for <em>his<em> days.

_If only things could have been different, brother. If only I had been able to save you... _He looked towards the School For Gifted Unicorns and smiled. _Maybe I still can, if what I suspect is true._

He'd taken in Dusk Shine only about two years ago. The little colt had been sponsored for a scholarship due to the kindness of an old unicorn who believed the child had great potential. He was very bright for his age and despite his background. Despite a streak of naivety, he was surprisingly street tough. And perhaps in spite of his somewhat anti-social attitude, the colt attracted interest from his tutors like a magnet. He could count on one hand the foals he'd met over the centuries who could claim anything similar and still have fingers to spare.

Nopony knew who Dusk's parents were. Including Dusk himself. He couldn't remember them or how he'd come to be orphaned. But when the Shogun offered to take him in as his personal protégé, he had been excited to the point of hilarity, jumping about and whooping and hollering at his sudden lucky break. He wasn't officially adopted, of course. He was more a ward than a foster son. But there were few things in life the Shogun would _**not**_ do for Dusk, whom he _had_ begun to consider like a son, and had even been considering offering to adopt the colt formally. It would make him a prince of the realm, and he doubted Dusk Shine would turn it down simply because he knew how much the unicorn wanted to be part of a family, since he'd never known the one he was born to. He also knew that unlike his niece, who had all the signs about her that she would become a spoiled brat of a Daimyo as she grew, being only a minor princess now, Dusk would be almost entirely unlikely to abuse his position as a prince, adopted or otherwise.

The Shogun was convinced the only abuse of authority that might come from Dusk would be him commandeering the library for himself and be damned anyone who got in between him and anything with a printed word. He snickered at this thought and grinned.

It was a grin that slowly began to fade as his mind went back over some of the things he'd begun to see in the colt in the last few months. Something he never believed he would see, touch, or feel again. If he was right, it meant a great number of things. Things he wasn't sure he wanted to think about.

Not the least of which was the possibility that the colt he was beginning to see as his own son had a destiny that was greater than simply being an heir to the throne. A destiny that might one day claim his very life. He didn't like to think of that. But he had little choice. He knew, from painful experience, that no matter how hard one tries...well, he'd heard it said once that when the call to greatness goes out, you can never avoid it. Because the call knows where you live.

* * *

><p><em>Three months later<em>

* * *

><p>The Shogun couldn't deny it any longer. What he was sensing from Dusk Shine was no accident. He would have to make a decision, and soon. He could sense the rumblings within the sun. While they were faint at the moment, they would grow stronger. They would be needed again. But he could no longer use them. But there were those who did have the capacity for it. He was sure of it. One of whom was his own ward. As to the others, he had little clue at the moment. But he was sure he would in time.<p>

He just hated what this would have to mean.

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><p><em>One year later<em>

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><p>"Y-You...want me to leave the palace?" The young colt choked, tears already building in his eyes. "You're sending me away? Why? What did I do? It's not fair! I've always done my best, haven't I?"<p>

The Shogun winced at the hurt look on his ward's face. He no doubt saw this as a betrayal by the only father figure he'd ever really known. He decided he would have to impart at least some of the truth, or he'd never forgive himself to having to cause his ward...no, in many ways Dusk was his son in all but legality now.

"Dusk...I wouldn't ask this of you if I had _any_ other choice. I consider you family. The son I never had. I wouldn't do this if I could avoid it." The Shogun said, folding the colt in a firm hug, before holding him out at arm's length. "I wish there _was_ some other way. I detest the idea of exposing you to the dangers I need you to face now at this age. But this is something you must do. I'm not banishing you, my student. I am not sending you away in the way that you think. I am asking you to go on a quest for me."

Dusk looked up sharply at his mentor. The Shogun had never lied to him in all the years they'd known each other. But he'd kept things secret from him at times. Usually for good reason. It had sometimes caused strife between the two when the Shogun had to put matters of state before his relationship with the young pony, and everytime something had blown up in their faces, Dusk had always blamed himself. But now...now his Shogun...his father in all but name...was banishing him. There was no other way around it. He must have done something so awful that the Shogun didn't want him anymore. This quest must have been the pretext on which he would get rid of him. But even a lie was better than the naked truth in front of him. He sniffled a bit and rubbed his eyes to clear them of tears.

"A-a quest?" the colt asked. The Shogun nodded.

"That's right. You know that I have several powers at my disposal, right?" he asked. Dusk nodded. "I have felt a great danger coming to Equestria, Dusk Shine. A danger I cannot defeat. It is far beyond my power." He smiled and raised a hoof to stop his son's protest. "I am powerful, my dear child. But I am _not_ invincible. It is beyond my power to defeat this danger. It is not my destiny to do so this time." He looked the indigo unicorn dead in his deep set green eyes. "This time, the hope of equestria falls on _your _shoulders."

Dusk gaped at him. For a lie, this was pretty farfetched.

"But...what can I do?" he asked.

The Shogun gave him a sad smile. "You must venture out into Equestria, my brave little Samurai. Within you is a power lost for over a millennium. It is part of a far greater power, one that now stands divided between six ponies, who _must_ come together if we are all to survive." He chuckled. "Do you remember the story I sometimes told you before you went to bed at night?"

Dusk gave the Shogun a piercing look. He _did_ remember the story his surrogate father was hinting at. It had been— indeed still was— one of his favorites. "The downfall of Anarchy Helios?"

The Shogun nodded. "That's the one. Do you remember how I defeated him?"

Dusk nodded. He was about to ask what that had to do with anything until it _hit_ him like a bullet train between the eyes.

"You don't mean—?"

Again the Shogun nodded. "They have chosen their wielders, my child. You must find the other five. Once you do, they will gain a physical form once more that the six of you can utilize. Together, you will defend this land, as its new guardians."

"But...which one am I?" Dusk asked, not feeling particularly confident, but at the same time almost hoping against hope that this was real. That the Shogun really intended for him to go on an actual quest that would help protect his home. But the Shogun merely shook his head.

"I can't tell you that right now, Dusk. It's something you'll need to learn on your own, or else it might make you reckless. Remember my brave child, Bushido teaches us that there is a fine line between courage and recklessness. Cross it, and you might never find your way back." The Shogun replied. Then got to his feet, as did Dusk. "Come. I'll help you pack for your journey. I will expect you to keep in contact. I want you home as soon as possible, but in the meantime, I will equip you with the means to stay in touch."

The two made their way towards Dusk's room. Each hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he would ever see it, or the palace and imperial capital, again.

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><p>Dusk slept, his gear prepared and ready for his journey, which would begin the next morning. The Shogun ran a hoof through the colt's mane fondly. He wondered how long it would take. How many years would go by before he would see the colt he viewed as his son in all but name and blood again? He pulled the blankets tighter over the colt and then left the room, heading to the roof of the uppermost tower of the Imperial Palace. The sun was still in the sky, slowly setting as the Shogun's magic guided it down, causing it to seem as though it had turned blood red. He imagined he could see its prisoner glaring back at him.<p>

"Damn you Solaris..." The Shogun rumbled. "My son could get _killed_ out there, and it's your fault. Why couldn't you have listened to _**reason**_?" He snarled at the sun, stamping a hoof against the tile of the roof.

His elder brother's fall from grace still horrified him to this day. He never was able to figure out what instigated it. But he knew something had caused it. He'd nearly trapped all of Equestria beneath the sun for eternity. Ultimately he would have destroyed their subjects with the everlasting day. Only the Elements of Bushido, the six components of the physical power of the Warrior's Code, had defeated Solaris. Or as he had come to call himself, Anarchy Helios. Now the Elements, long since missing, had resurfaced. He felt one of them had become part of Dusk Shine. It was the only reason he'd have suggested this madness at such a young age. Dusk was often bookish despite his skill with weaponry and the martial arts. As a result, he had very few ponies that called him friend. But now he was going to have to pull up roots and go on a search that might take years to accomplish.

The Shogun wasn't sure Equestria _had_ years to spare.

Pulling off his ceremonial Shogun headgear, he allowed it to fall, his mane, semitransparent and looking like the night come alive at sharp and wild angles flowing in a nonexistent breeze towards his back. Lunaris, Shogun of Equestria stared hard into the sun, his horn glowing with light almost as black as his fur before flaring his wings and rearing up on his back legs.

"So help me, big brother, if my son dies trying to save Equestria from the madness you would bring down upon us again, I will see you dead, whatever it takes!"

He shuddered as the wind blew over him. He could swear he could hear Helios mocking him from his prison in the sun.

'_**We shall see, little brother.**_ the phantom voice on the wind seemed to be saying. '_**We shall see.**_'

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><p>Author's note: This is an AU, as you might have guessed. Dusk Shine is a counterpart to Twilight Sparkle, and while he may have some things in common with her, he is also his own pony, as will be other characters you're going to meet here. This Equestria is very different from canon, but is still set in around the same general time period. More will be explained as we go. Hope you enjoy the ride, cause it's gonna be a weird one! Any decent questions regarding the fic will be answered by author's notes at the end of each successive chapter, assuming I find any of the questions worthwhile andor pertaining to this story.

Flames will be used to broil Solaris in the heart of the Sun.


	2. Every Journey Begins With a Single Step

_**The Shogun Six**_

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any characters belonging to Hasbro. All original characters mentioned here are my own creations. I do this solely for entertainment purposes and in no way make any profit from it.

_**Chapter Two:**_

_**Every Journey Begins With a Single Step**_

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><p>Dusk Shine hadn't set foot outside the Imperial Capital in his life, so far as he could remember. If he'd ever been outside the capital city, it would have been sometime before his parents disappeared while he was still a baby. It was an odd experience for him. The unicorn had some idea of city life of course. He'd been on the streets until he'd been sponsored for consideration at the School for Gifted Unicorns, where he'd then wound up all but officially adopted by the Shogun. He'd grown up on these streets, and despite living in the palace and training in arts both martial and scholarly, he hadn't neglected to follow up on the goings on in the imperial city. One never knew when one might find new historical texts or weapons masters in the square, library, or marketplace to learn from, after all.<p>

Dusk was in his normal pony form, saddlebags across his back and Katana sheathed along one of the bags' underside. He could easily draw it telekinetically, or if pressed, shift to morphic state and use the weapon by hand. He just hoped he wouldn't have to. For all his skill with the blade, and he _was_ skilled, he was still just a colt, which meant that unless he was up against someone his own age and of a similar skill level, he would likely wind up dead if a truly skilled or simply greedy enough bandit really wanted to try to attack him. As such, he was more than a bit nervous at being out beyond the walls of the capital city.

He was on a paved road leading to the station where he could board a bullet train, and head out into the rest of Equestria proper. It was one of the few problems for those traveling to and from the capital. The place was insanely fortified, and the only way to travel between the city and Equestria proper was by bullet train. Though Dusk was well aware of some Samurai who traveled everywhere by foot the way the warriors of old did. But that was an extremely rare thing in the modern day.

He had to find the other Incarnates. Others like him who had the power to defeat whatever this coming evil was supposed to be. If the Shogun was telling the truth about why he'd been sent out of the palace— and Dusk truly hoped this was the case— then they would need to find something that Dusk had believed were just things he'd made up as bedtime story material: The Elements of Bushido.

He hadn't heard the story in a long while now, but he remembered much of the basic details. The Elements, so far as he knew, were supposed to be a physical embodiment of the power that existed in Bushido, the Warrior's Code. But he didn't know _what_ the actual Elements were. He had only begun learning the Way a year or so before he'd been tasked by the Shogun to leave the capital to find them just two days ago. There was a lot to learn about becoming a Warrior. But learning the Way was just as daunting a task as learning many of the skills he'd gained under the direct tutelage of the Shogun. He didn't fully understand the concepts they were trying to teach him at the school, which was part magic training center— everypony in Equestria could use magic to some extent. Unicorns were just filled up with a helluva lot more of the stuff— and part training dojo for the physical side of being a warrior. These parts of how to be a warrior were taught _first_ since basic self defense as a general rule was taught to all ponies in case of attack. But the philosophical side of being a Warrior was taught last because by comparison, it was much harder to grasp.

As he checked his bags in storage above his seat, Dusk shifted into his morphic form, settling down with a book he'd taken from his bags. Because of an enchantment put on them by the Shogun, his bags could carry a _great_ deal more than physical dimensions would indicate they should be capable of. It was a spell Dusk quickly resolved to learn so that he could use it himself in the future if he ever needed to. In point of fact, it was what he was looking for in the book he'd taken out to read. He was on a quest, but that didn't mean he should stop studying magic and the martial skills he'd worked so hard to develop. Indeed, he thought it would be a good idea to keep his studies up simply because of the dangers he was likely to face on this quest.

He studied the book of spells for the next two hours, emerging from the bullet train as it pulled into the station that let out into the outer lands of Equestria. He knew there was little chance he was going to just run into his fellow Incarnates just as he got off the train or anything, so he set off on hoof, determined to do his best to locate them. After about three hours of travel through the city that the train had let out at, he began to get hungry, so he headed to a small tavern. If the phrase 'hole in the wall' could be applied to anyplace in Equestria, this one certainly fit the description. It was lively but not overly so, and Dusk felt that at this point the phrase 'any port in a storm' was apt. The Shogun had outfitted him with a Bit card that would pull money direct from the royal coffers, but Dusk was loathe to use the Shogun's money unless he had to. He'd been given an account of his own as well so that he could avoid unnecessary curiosity if at all possible. It wasn't unheard of for the Shogun to allow certain individuals in his court access to the royal treasury. But a mere colt? That would raise more than a few eyebrows, something neither wanted to do if it could be avoided.

Dusk settled in at the bar and ordered a sandwich, while he looked about. This search could take years, or it could take the rest of his life, which would leave Equestria wide open for the evil he had been sent on this quest to defeat. He didn't know anything about how he was supposed to go about finding the other Incarnates. As he wasn't even sure which one _he_ was, this would be just that much harder. Without some way to actually track down the others, all he could do was pray that his efforts would be enough.

While lost in his musings, he failed to notice that his presence had been noted by a pair of pegasi who had a fairly bad reputation in town. These two enjoyed roughing up new ponies and had been in and out of jail a number of times for theft and assault amongst other things. Seeing the unicorn colt make his way into the tavern, they smirked at one another, figuring him to be an easy mark.

* * *

><p>The pair bided their time, waiting for Dusk to finish his food and leave the Tavern. Once he did, they got up and followed him nonchalantly out the door. There was, after all, nothing suspicious about that. As such, nobody, including Dusk, gave it much thought that there were ponies coming and going from the tavern. It was about ten minutes later as Dusk was traveling down the street that he began to sense a hostile air about him and wondered if perhaps agents of the evil he'd been sent on his quest to stop hadn't been deployed to prevent him from making any headway. Then again, Dusk was nopony's fool. He'd lived on the streets for a time. These could have just been a couple of idiots looking for an easy hit. But he wasn't the helpless foal he'd been once upon a time before he'd smartened up and learned to fight. He ducked down an alleyway and hide behind an open door, waiting to see what happened. The pegasi followed, and looked about in confusion.<p>

"Where'd he go?" one asked of his compatriot. "Did he teleport?"

"At that age? No way. I'd be surprised if he could do more than a few basic spells." The other replied. "He's got to be here somewhere still."

No truer words were spoken. Dusk emerged, shifting to morphic form, armed with a katana he'd been given by the Shogun before he'd left on his trip, striking swiftly and with purpose, slicing along the muscles of the two Pegasi's wings. Caught off-guard, the two winged ponies staggered away from t he now blood coated blade with shouts of pain. But Dusk wasn't finished, taking a second set of swings at his would-be attackers despite the fact that he wasn't full grown as they were. His targets this time were the tendons in the hind legs, intending to hobble them. He succeeded with one, but the other jumped away, shifting to morphic form as he did so, pulling out a gun, but Dusk was swift enough that he was able to slice the barrel clean off, rendering the weapon useless. The older pony charged him, but Dusk ducked down as he approached and then used his own physical strength and magically induced telekinesis to flip him over onto his back. This sent jolts of pain along the pegasi's already injured wing. Not wasting the opportunity, Dusk slashed at the leg of the morphic flier, before shaking the blood from his blade off with a diagonal swing, then pulling out a cloth and wiping the remaining blood off as he turned and headed back out the way he'd come as he stowed his weapon.

_That was too close._ Dusk mused to himself, as he lost himself amongst the crowds. _They were probably commonplace bandits. They'll find help eventually. _ He hadn't tried to cripple them, after all. Just injure them. He wasn't going to kill them for no good reason when incapacitating them was so much easier. However this still lead to one major issue. Namely, the fact that ponies would take him for an easy hit due to his age and size. He was as skilled as any other Samurai his age, and in some cases a bit above the average skill level such as in terms of magical ability. But he was still young, not yet a stallion but obviously no simple foal. He would need to start making connections in this city and others, form a network of support when and where possible. He couldn't rely on his connections to the Shogun though. While he was known in the capital as the apprentice to Shogun Lunaris, it wasn't very likely that many ponies beyond the capital knew of him aside from, perhaps, people in the army, since he was registered as a Samurai officially due to this quest. However the army knew hundreds, if not thousands of Samurai, so one more would hardly make a difference. Though if he could form friendly ties with those parts of Equestria's defenses, it would be an immense help.

Spotting a forge, Dusk smiled, and headed towards it. He wanted to make sure his blade hadn't been damaged by cutting through that gun barrel. It wasn't likely, given the Shogun had been the one to give it to him, and he suspected it was either enchanted or made with Metagems, but it never hurt to be sure. He knocked at the door.

"Anypony home?" he called. There was some movement in the back and a door opened to the forge proper as a colt with a silver-white coat, a dark blue mane and tail and red eyes appeared. His flank bore three gems as a Warrior Mark. He looked surprised to see somepony his own age at the front door. But he trotted over and gave a professional smile.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to the forge. I'm Flash. What can I do for you, sir?" the colt said in an accent that, on Earth, would be considered British.

"My name's Dusk Shine. I'd like to have one of my weapons checked. I was just in a fight and I want to make sure I didn't damage it as a result of some of the actions I had to take." Dusk replied, pulling out the Katana and scabbard, handing them over to Flash. Taking the scabbard in hand, Flash pulled the blade free and his eyes went wide.

"By the Shogun's hooves! This is a masterwork if ever I laid eyes on one!" He exclaimed. "How did you ever get your hands on such a fine blade?"

Dusk blushed a bit. "Uhm...believe it or not, I actually got it _from_ the Shogun. I used to be his apprentice."

Flash eyed him with disbelief. He shook his head with a snort. "Right. Well, I can certainly have this looked at if you wish. But I warn you if there is any damage, repairing it won't come cheap. My father would probably have to be the one to work on this, as I wouldn't want to risk doing any further damage, if there is any, to such a work of art." he said. Then gestured Dusk to enter, which the indigo pony did and then followed Flash to the forge itself.

Dusk let out a low whistle. He'd been inside forges in the capital. But something about this place spoke of people who not only did artificing because they were good at it but also because they _enjoyed_ it. He didn't see that often. Flash was obviously very skilled as an artificer himself, as he had a good idea of what to look for. He checked, double checked, and even triple checked his Katana for signs of damage. He finally gave a smile and sheathed the blade before he handed the weapon back.

"It's got a few nicks, but that's easily buffed if you want for a few bits. Other than that, it's in fine working order. Metagem-craft like I've never seen." Flash commented. Dusk considered that for a few moments, and then nodded.

"Sure, might as well have the blade in top condition. How much was it again?"

Flash smiled. "Only five bits." he said, and chuckled when Dusk gawked at him. "Don't look so surprised. I enjoy my work. And I would be remiss to charge more than that for the chance to work on a masterpiece such as this. Now let's get your blade back to top form, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: And so Rarity's counterpart appears! Unlike the first chapter, which was a snapshot of young Dusk's early life, though largely told from the viewpoint of Shogun Lunaris, this chapter brings the story to it's true beginning, as Dusk will begin to encounter more ponies who will have a greater impact on his life than he yet knows. Metagems will be explained later on, so don't worry any about that.<p>

For those who may think Dusk got too easy a win in that fight, let me point out they are not nearly as well trained as he is and are, as he suspected, merely common thieves who thought he was an easy mark. While this Equestria skews different from canon, such as the martial culture and ultra-modern technology, not everypony is a master of combat. Dusk Shine was trained by the Shogun himself in a number of fields and like Twilight Sparkle, Dusk is a prodigy with magic. Add in the fact that ponies can take on a morphic form in this Equestria, and he has all the tools he needs to defeat some simple bandits.

If you're wondering about the Elements of Bushido mentioned in the description here on the site, don't worry too much. The Elements will be explained and the ways we'll see them manifest will occur over the next several chapters. Their story will be told as we go along. There will be action, intrigue, some comedy, and everything in between- I hope- as we learn more about these ponies and the Elements of Bushido and how they'll play into this. The ancient evil these six must unite to defeat will begin to have a presence sooner than you think, but don't expect it to go the way it did with canon. Anarchy Helios is _far_ more aggressive than Nightmare Moon was. Moon was largely soft-hearted as a villainess, since most of what she did had little real chance for actual harm, the manticore aside. Helios will not be anywhere near as kindhearted. This world also has far worse than a few manticores, hydras, and the like running around, and Helios will be more than willing toi take advantage of that fact. And he's not the _only_ threat that will confront the Six as the story goes along. This is your first warning. It won't be your last. This story will, I hope, avoid being 'grimdark' but it will probably get dark as we go along. Consider this your head's up on that.

Finally, yes, Dusk is only a colt here, as is Flash. This team of six begin their adventures at a _much_ younger age than the canon six, and this is by design. These six will have to bond in a very different way from the quick connection the Mane Six had. Hopefully, this will come about in a way that will satisfy everypony reading. And if not...well as Lincoln said, you can't please all the people all the time.

As ever, reviews are welcome and flames will be used to broil Solaris within the heart of the sun.


	3. Travelers

_**The Shogun Six**_

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any characters belonging to Hasbro. All original characters mentioned here are my own creations. I do this solely for entertainment purposes and in no way make any profit from it.

_**Chapter Three:**_

_**Travelers**_

* * *

><p>True to his word, Flash had managed to buff out the knicks in Dusk's Katana in only a short while. While nowhere yet as skilled as his father, or so he claimed, Dusk noted the other unicorn was a deft touch with the skills all artificers needed to be successful.<p>

"So, Flash, have your family always been artificers?" Dusk asked, his curiousity getting the better of him, hoping that the other colt was open to discussion while working. Luck, it seemed was on his side, for Flash snickered in  
>utter amusement at this.<p>

"Hardly. My mother is so utterly against father and I being artificers. She used to be a minor noble on the outlands near the border." He replied. "That was before I was born and well before my parents met, mind you. We do good work and we live comfortably. But she still misses the glory days."

"You're a prince?" Dusk just about swalloed his tongue at the idea that he was being that casual with royalty.

Flash snorted this time, sounding annoyed. "By the Shogun, no. Mother was a part of the nobility, but only in the loosest sense. She was something like a daimyo's daughter or something. I suppose that does technically mean she had the title of princess, though. She has no blood tie to the Shogun. That I'm _aware_ of, at any rate. So she was part of the extended nobility, not the direct bloodlines."

Dusk let out a sigh of relief at that.

"Sorry." he said. "For a minute there I was worried if I should have been bowing or not."

At this Flash actually laughed.

"I'm glad you aren't. Mother may still see herself as a noble, but I'm happy just being a Samurai in training like yourself. The Samurai are extended nobility in their own right and I've always dreamed of being able to serve Equestria on the front lines. Much like yourself I imagine, seeing as you've been given such a wonder as this by the Shogun himself." The silver-white unicorn stopped short at that for a moment. "On the subject, my new found friend, why exactly are you out here if you're the apprentice—or at least used to be the apprentice— to the Shogun himself? What could possibly have sent you out of the capital?"

Dusk shook his head, giving Flash only a snapshot version of the truth. He was on a quest for the Shogun, but he didn't have the slightest clue as to how in Equestria he was going to accomplish it since he wasn't even sure what he was supposed to look for. He was sure that if he mentioned the Elements of Bushido that Flash would think the Shogun had just wanted to get rid of Dusk, and that thought had been nagging him all too much in the last day or so since he'd had to pack up and leave the only real home he'd ever had and leave behind the closest thing to family he'd ever known.

"A quest, hm? Did he say you had to go it alone?" Flash asked as he handed back the Katana. Dusk looked up in surprise. "Oh don't look so shocked. I'm aware that some quests must be undertaken by individuals, but it's highly unusual to see a Samurai so young be sent on one, so I was curious, that's all."

Dusk gave this some thought. Since he was _supposed _to find the others who were incarnates of the Elements of Bushido, that was in essence an order that could mean he was supposed to travel with others. It wasn't like he couldn't use the company, and there were supposed to be five others. He smiled and shook his head.

"He didn't say I had to go it alone." He said after some consideration. "The problem would be finding anyone interested in joining in on such a quest since there's no telling how long it would last or even where I'd have to go to complete it." He shrugged. "I get the feeling this isn't going to be some three day trip or something. It could be years before I've finished the task he set out for me."

Flash nodded, giving that some thought. Eventually, he handed the Katana back to Dusk, who shifted into anthro form to examine the weapon. True to his word, the few knicks in the blade were gone, and the thing looked like it was brand new. He had to give Flash credit. The other unicorn certainly knew his trade, and he suspected he might be being a bit overly modest about his actual skill. He paid Flash the five bits he'd charged, and sheathed the blade.

"Thanks again for your help." Dusk said with a grin as he changed back to full pony form. "I hope we'll run into one another again sometime. I'll put in a good word for you and your father with the Shogun, when and if I ever get back."

Flash's smile was grateful but he waved it off.

"No worries, Dusk. It was a pleasure to work on such a phenomenal blade. And the free advertising is more than appreciated."

The two parted ways and Dusk headed out into town once more. He noticed that the bandits he'd taken down earlier were finally getting help as well as being arrested. He wondered how anyone had known they'd tried to mug him. Then he shrugged as he heard the charges being levied against them. He had apparently not been the first pony they'd tried to accost before. He walked on, wondering what to do next. Checking his watch briefly, he noticed it was getting on to mid-afternoon. Realizing he would need to find a place to sleep for the night, he quickly found and rented a room. It had been difficult at first. Being still just a colt, the manager had been reluctant to rent to him, even if he was a Samurai-in-training. It took him revealing that he was an orphan who had been taken in by the Shogun's school before he was given lodgings for the night. He felt a little bad about not revealing the _entire_ truth— after all, the Shogun had taken him in and made him his ward as well as his apprentice, practically adopted him in all but fact— but didn't think this was the proper time to invoke the Shogun's name. It hadn't come down to an emergency, otherwise he might have explained just who he really was. If worst came to worst he could have simply set up camp somewhere in one of the parks. Between his time on the streets and his training at the school and with the Shogun, he was no stranger to making do with far less than most ponies took for granted.

He slept fitfully that night. His dreams were filled with terror and fear. His dreams bounced from one horror to the next...

* * *

><p><em>The sun bore down upon Equestria with all the hate and fury of a monster. A demonic eye that never blinked, and slowly crushed all beneath its heat and oppressive gaze. Trees and crops withered under the unending heat, ponies stretched themselves to the breaking point to find shade, only to watch as fiery monstrosities would destroy their sources of reprieve. From a high tower nearly a mile high, a laugh that could only be called evil rang across the land of Equestria. A laugh that belong to a force he couldn't see or identify. In the mountain ranges of Scottsdale, what was left of the moon lay shattered along their length. Ponies labored in chains, many being worked to exhaustion, and then far past that point.<em>

_In what was once the fertile plains known as appaloosa, the desert had taken hold. Many pony corpses littered the grounds, the heat proving too much for the once hardy settlers who had tamed the forestry there..._

_In what was once imperial capital...The dessicated corpse of the shogun hung, a pike driven up through the back of his neck and out his skull, making it seem as though he had two horns. His lifeless eyes spoke of loss and horror, and of a great failure. The failure._

**_Dusk's_** _failure._

_Dusk himself was chained to the base of the pike. Never allowed to die, but forced to be incapable of leaving his surrogate father's side for the rest of eternity. Forced to live forever with the price of his failure..._

* * *

><p>Dusk woke in a cold sweat as dawn neared, unable to stand any of the <em>further<em> horrors he saw after that vision. It took him nearly ten minutes to get his breathing under control again. He turned to look out the window as the sun began to crest the horizon.

_I won't fail. I won't let __**that **__come to pass!_

So resolved, he got up, and after a quick shower, gathered his things, checked out, and started on his quest with renewed vigor. That had been more than a dream, he realized. It was at the same time what he needed most— validation that the Shogun had indeed sent him on a genuine quest instead of simply trying to find a nice way to get rid of him— and a message from a possible future as to what awaited him if he failed.

Setting out, he tried to figure out how to accomplish his goal. He knew so little about how one would go about finding one of the Incarnates. The Shogun had more or less told him _he_ was one of the Incarnates of the Elements of Bushido. But he had no clue how to find the others. Would they find him? Would they perhaps not even have chosen their hosts yet? There were so many variables.

"We meet again!" called a voice from Dusk's right, and he turned to see Flash cantering his way. The artificer had been very easy to get along with the previous day.

"So it seems. What brings you out of the forge today, Flash?" the indigo unicorn asked with a grin as the silver-white unicorn finally caught up to him. Since it seemed both were heading the same way, they walked together.

"Out getting some supplies. I have rather a talent at finding gems. And seeing as my father and I are artificers who work with various materials, including Metagem weaponry..." he trailed off meaningfully, but the pride in his eyes was apparent.

"You're the perfect choice to go scouting for materials when supplies run low instead of spending money on things you can actually go out and acquire yourself for free." Dusk finished, and Flash gave a quick, sage little nod. "Mind some company? I'm still not sure how to go about fulfilling my quest for the Shogun, and I could use another pony to bounce ideas off of."

"My pleasure. I'm no slouch at defending myself and all when I go out there to find gems— Shogun above knows the Diamond Dogs are incessant, but I've never had much trouble in the past— but an extra body would be helpful in keeping them from trying anything too risky. They still fear the Shogun and their fully canine cousins and even the other races on our fair planet. But if they think they have a shot..."

"Fair enough." Dusk said with a smile.

The pair walked along, picking up a pair of carts for gems when they reached the town borders, and headed out into the outlands. It was a more rocky, semi-mountainous area outside the city, though the bullet train made it possible to go between cities in minutes, but few wanted to try to upset the balance of nature _too_ much in this part of Equestria for reasons Flash tried to explain, but which Dusk wasn't entirely sure he understood. But he listened anyway, and the two chatted for some time as they went to work collecting gems. Flash, despite being trained differently than him in terms of his combat style, was by no means disagreeable. He wasn't anypony that Dusk himself wanted to _be_, but he wasn't someone Dusk would make a point to go out of his way to avoid. He made a mental note to visit the artificer when he had the chance once his mission was over. He was friendly and open, and while he had a distinct love of his work such that he often started to briefly go off on a tangent about it before realizing Dusk would have had no idea what he was going on about, he was good company otherwise. Besides, Dusk had so few friends at this point in his life, that he would be more than glad to have one more to call on when opportunity provided the chance.

"So, Dusk, a question occurs. You said you weren't sure how to go about fulfilling your quest, right?" Flash asked after a brief but companionable silence in which they'd done little more than collect gems of various types and sizes and shapes.

"So far I have no real clue. I'm not even sure how to find what I'm looking for. Or even if I'd know it when I saw it." Dusk replied with a nod and a helpless shrug of his shoulders. They were still in pony form since their horns were a better means of extraction than their hands at the moment.

Flash nodded, and was lost in thought for a moment before speaking.

"Would you like some company for the trip? At least for a little while?"

"Pardon?" The question hadn't been one Dusk was expecting.

"When an artificer comes to the end of their apprenticeship, they are required to go on a journey, to find themselves, and to craft a weapon solely their own. One that will become like an extension of themselves in battle. It's the final trial for an artificer. I'm coming close to the end of my apprenticeship. In fact, it ends in about two days time. While I am required to make the _weapon_ myself, the rules of the apprenticeship among artificers don't say that the journey has to be made alone, and several others have had friends to travel with. Usually fellow Samurai in training, such as yourself. You're on a quest, and I'm about to undertake my final trial...I don't have many friends who haven't already gone off to train at one school or another, be it in the civilian or martial fields. And you look like you could use a friend. I get the feeling you were something of a shut-in when studying under the Shogun. A friendly face on a trip like yours would do you some good, I think." Flash explained with a chuckle.

Dusk gave it some thought as they walked their way back into the city, and with some coaxing, joined Flash for lunch, where he met the other Unicorn's father, Flare Burst.

"Dad, this is my new friend Dusk Shine. he's the one I told you about from yesterday." the silver-white colt said by way of introduction. Flare Burst looked a bit surprised at Dusk, but then broke out into a light laugh.

"So this is the one with the metagem blade that you were drooling over eh?" He looked the young indigo unicorn over. "He definitely has the build of someone trained to be a Samurai." He eyed the Katana sheath. "If it's not much of an imposition, could I see the blade? Flash here was going on about it for the better part of dinner last night."

Seeing little reason to deny the elder unicorn, Dusk pulled the weapon free and allowed Flare to take the weapon in hand as he shifted to anthro form, looking it over with great interest. He studied the weapon from nearly all angles, before handing it back to Dusk, though he looked sad at having to do so.

"That weapon is a miracle of metagem-craft, child. The Shogun must think very highly of you to make such a valuable weapon a gift to one so young."

"Yes sir." Dusk said, smiling bashfully. "I've been his apprentice for years. I'd still be at the Palace now if he didn't need me to do something outside the Imperial Capital."

Flare Burst nodded. The trio chatted amicably for a bit longer, and then the elder artificer went back into the forge, while Dusk offered to give the younger unicorn a hand with his chores outside of it. As the sun came to slowly set on the horizon, they were joined by Flash's mother, High Aspirations. She had been surprised to learn that the Shogun's apprentice was wandering about on his own, but she seemed gracious enough. Though she asked after the events at court so much that Dusk was beginning to see just what Flash had meant when he'd mentioned that she had been a daimyo's daughter. He wondered when she had lost her seat of power though. While Daimyo were occasionally unseated and replaced, either by election or by the edict of the Shogun, it was rare in the extreme. It was usually a lifelong— and hereditary— posting. He answered her questions as best he could, and was surprised when Flare Burst offered to put him up for the night. Since he hadn't thought to book a few days at the inn, he humbly accepted.

The family put him up for the night in a spare bedroom, and he eventually got around to making use of it after a sparring match with Flash. Who as it turned out, was _very_ good with that naginata of his. They'd spent the better part of two hours sparring and then doing some joint training in both piny and anthro forms. The next day had found Dusk giving some serious thought to Flash's offer to accompany him on his quest. Though he knew this meant he would have to explain to Flash just _what_ he was sent to find. He hoped that the other unicorn wouldn't change his mind once he found out.

Dusk was of no real use in a Forge, so he helped Flash out again when he was sent to procure some more materials that would go into the construction of various weapons. This trip took them around the city a bit. By sheer chance, they found themselves running into a pair of Earth ponies whose attention was immediately caught by Dusk.

"Well, well. The mountain comes to Mohammed." One of them said. He was a roan colored pony with a brass knuckle for a warrior mark. "You put two of our buds in the slammer _and_ laid them up in the hospital on top of it, kid. We ain't happy about that. No sir, we ain't happy about that at all."

"As I understand it, those dimwits got themselves in over their heads again." Flash said. "What is this, the twelfth time this year they've been arrested?" Dusk looked over at him in surprise. He'd had no idea his attackers from a few days before had a record. Let alone that this was something they were known for. He wondered why they kept trying to be criminals if they were so apparently horrendous at it. the Earth ponies were not amused as the one with the brass knuckle cutie mark snorted through his nose and the two charged, transforming to their anthropomorphic forms as they did.

It was clear that like the Pegasi, these ponies were basically thugs whose skill in combat came from being on the streets but lacking any extensive formal training. In that regard, Dusk and Flash, who transformed as well to meet them with a pair of overhead judo-style flips, had them they hadn't _beaten_ them just yet. The two Earth ponies charged them again, and again they were dealt with by a simple use of leverage. This second attempt and failure forced them to rethink their strategy. They came in slower, each pulling out a sickle apiece. In response, Dusk drew the katana he'd gotten from the Shogun, while Flash pulled his naginata free to stand at the ready.

The two pairs of fighters stared one another down, each wanting the other to make the first move. Eventually, it was the thugs who moved first, attacking in tandem. Dusk paired off with one and Flash with the other, and the four of them went at it, blades clashing, even as Dusk and Flash began using their unicorn magic to levitate objects and use them to distract and harry the Earth ponies. Luckily for the young samurai, their foes weren't trained in any of the non-unicorn magical disciplines, so they had the edge there. But they were still colts, while these Earth ponies were not and this was the only real way to offset their strength advantage. Flash, using the greater reach his naginata afforded him, was able to keep his opponent further afield from him. Dusk on the other hand, had little choice but to get up close and personal. Only the fact that he'd had formal combat training kept him from being pretty soundly trounced by the older and bigger pony despite his lack of magic or formal training. And it became a near thing only a few moments later.

Flash had just managed to maneuver his own opponent into a position to knock himself out by running headlong into a nearby wall with great force. He turned to see Dusk contending with the other one and holding his own at the very least, when he tripped on a loose piece of pavement and went down in a heap. He didn't seem hurt, but that wasn't going to hold true for long if the thug with the sickle and brass knuckle warrior mark had his way. He was on Dusk in a moment, blade at his throat.

"Say goodbye, kid." the brass knuckle marked pony said. He had an amused and smug look on his face. One Dusk hated to admit probably had good reason to be there. He'd been stupid enough to fall because he hadn't paid better attention to his surroundings. Just as he was wondering how best to apologize to the Shogun for his failure if he ever got permission from the rulers of the afterlife to speak to his surrogate father again, a body was flung at the pony above him, which turned out to be his own companion. Flash was moving in the blink of an eye right behind the unconscious body that now left Dusk's adversary supine on the ground. His naginata blade was pointed squarely at the underside of the snout, where neck met jawbone.

"I think it might be best, my friend, if you forget you ever saw us, hmm? I'd prefer not to shed your blood here, but I can't have you endangering the life of a friend of mine, now can I?" the silver-white unicorn said. The Earth pony set his jaw mulishly, looking ready to argue, but Flash pressed the tip close enough to draw blood, which gave the downed pony reason to reconsider, and nodded once, briefly.

"Good. Now if you'll kindly spread the word among your friends _not _to try this kind of thing anymore, I'll see fit not to report this to the police, and neither will Dusk. Though as a word of warning, you really wouldn't want to upset Dusk's family. He's from a _very_ prominent house, and they could make life very difficult for you."

_This_ time the pony's nod came faster and much more vigorously. The threat of having the wrath of a house come down on somepony wasn't a good thought for street thugs. Flash nodded, and pulled away his naginata. After putting it away, he gathered up Dusk's katana and helped the indigo unicorn to his feet as the Earth pony picked up his companion and ran.

"From a very prominent house?" He asked, raising one brow, amusement twinkling in his green eyes.

"You _are_ the Shogun's apprentice. Close enough." Flash said with a grin. Dusk shook his head and snorted in good humor.

"You were pretty generous back there, promising not to go to the cops if they backed off."

"Of course." Flash replied. "being a benevolent victor never hurt, now did it?" Flash returned, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. Dusk gave him a thoughtful look.

"I think I will take you up on that offer for company on my quest. Just...try not to think too much less of me about it." And so Dusk began relating just what it was he was tasked to search for...

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Seems things are starting to look up for Dusk Shine. A new friend and traveling companion aside, he's learned a valuable lesson. Guess we'll have to see how this new development affects both of our young samurai in future chapters. In other news, today, March 10, was my birthday! (Whooo!) So this is something of a gift to myself! But it's also for my fellow bronies. Not much to say about today's chapter in notes. See ya next chapter!<p>

As ever, reviews are welcome and flames will be used to broil Solaris within the heart of the sun.


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